
( opyn^^lil N" 

COI'MJK.IIT DEPOSIT 



mmjmm 



-»_ \.'^'^/. ', 



/^' 




.^^^^t*,^.v:^^^4!S^' ^Mf^- " :1 



ALASKA- YUKON- PACIFIC 

EXPOSITION ^ 
I 909 



An 

International 

Fair 

i 



JUNE I 

to 

OCTOBER 15 




WASHINGTON 



Showing the Products, Re- 
sources, Advantages, and 
Scenic Beauty of the 
Alaska - Yukon 
Country. 

I 



Copyrighted 1908 

By 

HENRY MARTZ 



^"^ 

v^ 



^^ 



Iwo Cotiies rtecoxM 

JUN 1 1908 



coHY a, 



PREFACE 



A LTHOUGH the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, to 
be held in Seattle in 1909, from June i to October 
15, is to exploit the wonderful North Country, the affair 
has assumed international proportions and importance 
and is taking its place in the long list of AVorld's Fairs, 
most of which have reflected credit on their manage- 
ment and made their respective localities famous. 

In this publication, it is our intention, with the finest 
illustrations that money can buy and made from actual 



photographs of the scenes we wish to depict, to give 
those who have not been so fortunate as to have the op- 
portunity of visiting Alaska, to see what we have there. 
We hope it will give them such a desire to see more of 
the Land of the Midnight Sun that it will only be satis- 
fied by a visit to this wonderful, but little known re- 
gion, from which is rolling an endless stream of wealth 
in -the way of precious metals, fish, furs, timber and num- 
erous other products. 



Introductory Note 



T N presenting this folder to the pubhc, we wish to 
state that we have ehminated everything of sensa- 
tional character. The statistics given are official, or, at 
least, reliable, and all general information offered has 
been furnished by persons long resident in or thoroughly 
familiar with the several districts represented. 

Particular attention is invited to the map attached. It 
is as nearly correct in detail as it can be made. The 
courses of rivers and streams, location of mountain 
ranges and configuration of coast line are all in accord- 
ance with the latest surveys. It also indicates the routes 
followed by ocean and river steamers and shows the lo- 
cation of all cities, towns and districts of importance. 



ALASKA 

A SHORT SKETCH OF ITS ACQUISITION, 
AREA AND RESOURCES 

A LASKA contains 590,844 square miles of territory, 
or roughly calculated, an area equal to about one- 
fifth of all the other mainland possessions of the United 
States. 



Texas contains 
California contains 
Oregon contains 
Washington contains 

Total, 



265,780 square miles 

158,360 square miles 

96,030 square miles 

69,180 square miles 



589.350 square miles 



Alaska therefore has an area equal to these four great 
states, with a trifling surplus about equal to the State of 
Rhode Island. 

Her coast line is about 26,000 miles long, or greater 



than the circumference of the earth at the equator. 

\A^ith the year ending 1903, Alaska has enriched the 
nation with $52,000,000,00 worth of furs, $50,000,000.00 
worth of salmon, and from 1885 to 1906 inclusive, had 
produced $99,650,000.00 in gold. 

For all this vast territory and its wealth the United 
States paid Russia, $7,200,000.00 in 1867. At that early 
date the interior of the country was practically an un- 
explored wilderness — although the Russian church had 
established a few missions at short distances up the 
Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers — and was generally sup- 
posed to be an Artie waste, unproductive, ice-bound and 
in every way unfit for human occupation. 

From the day of the purchase until 1883 that part of 
Alaska with which this book deals — the valleys of the 
Yukon River and its tributaries — was not at all in the 
public eye, but during that year the first gold from the 
Yukon valley was brought to Juneau by some adven- 
turous miners who had accomplished the passage of the 
difficult intervening mountain ranges and met success in 
their prospecting at Stewart River, on Canadian soil. In 
1884 the rush began and continued during succeeding 
years. Strikes were made at Forty Mile '87, Circle '92, 
Eagle '95, and Rampart '95 and in 1896 came the histor- 
ical bonanza on the Klondyke. In 1898 the Nome dis- 
trict was discovered, and in 1902-3 the now famous Fair- 
banks diggings were opened. Alaska produced $19,000,- 
000.00 in gold during 1906 and geologists assure us that 
there are many great mineral deposits still undisturbed 
by the prospector's pick. Vast deposits of copper and 
coal exist at the headwaters of the Tanana and else- 
where, and their development has now begun. Tin is 
found on the Northern coast of Seward Peninsula and 
the quantity and quality of this deposit has been re- 
ported upon favorably. 




PALACE OF FINE ART 



The latest census of Alaska was taken in 1900. The 
population at that time was 63,592, of whom 30,507 were 
whites, 29,536 natives, and the rest negroes and Asiatics. 
There has been a considerable increase during the past 
seven years, and the white population is probably over 
40,000 now. 

The fur production of the territory is not as great now 
as in former years, for mining has diverted the attention 
of many trappers from this pursuit, and the increasing 
population is driving the fur-bearing animals into the re- 
moter mountains and forests. 

The salmon canning industry has reached the enor- 
mous annual volume of 2,250,000 cases which, including 
salted and cured salmon is valued at nearly $10,000,- 
000.00. 

Cod fishing will some day find a place among the im- 
portant industries of the territory, for vast banks, esti- 
mated at 125,000 square miles, lie adjacent to the coast. 
This is almost a virgin field. 

CLIMATE OF THE YUKON VALLEY. 

DASSIXG through the Coast Range }iIountains that 
form the iron-bound coast, the dry, bracing climate 
prevailing in ^lontana, Colorado and Idaho is encount- 
ered. The precipitation in the great vallej's of the Yu- 
kon and Tanna rivers during the months of July, August. 
September and October will be found to be confined to 
occasional showers in the earliest part of the season, with 
almost constant sunshine during the middle portion, and 
occasional snow squalls as a reminder of the coming win- 
ter in the latter part of September and through th<; 
month of October."' 

This terse report is variously elaborated by dififerent 
authorities, some going so far as to attempt to prove by 
statistics that Alaska is favored with more days sun- 



shine than the Puget Sound countr\'. While we do not 
affirm this statement, it is undoubted that this is a land 
of glorious summers ; wild flowers and berries abound, 
vegetation is luxuriant and countless rivers and streams, 
fed by the melting of the winter's snows, contribute to 
the beauty of the country. During most of the summer 
season daylight lasts for the entire twent3'-four hours, 
and for this and other favorable reasons all growing 
things mature in an incredibly short time. In many 
places the grass grows breast-high, and crisp, succulent 
vegetables may be produced auA'where if time is taken to 
raise them. 

A¥inter, though longer, compares favorably with the 
corresponding season in Minnesota and the Dakotas 
The cold is sometimes intense — on rare occasions reach- 
ing 70° F. below zero — but ordinarily from zero to 30^ 
below is about the range of the thermometer during win- 
ter. Then, too, blizzards are of rare occurrence and the 
snow-fall is light. 



DAWSON, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA 

CITCATED on the Yukon eighty-eight miles from 
the boundary line between Alaska and Canada. 
Population of the district, estimated, 6,000. Westerly 
terminus of White Pass and Yukon Route. 

Dawson was founded in 1896 as a result of the Klon- 
dyke rush. The annual gold-production of this vicinity 
has averaged $12,000,000.00 and the city has developed 
into an important commercial center, equipped with all 
modern conveniences and comforts, including telephone, 
electric light, water-works, fine hotels, public schools, 
churches, theatres, several daily newspapers and tele- 
graph communication with the world outside. It is also 
par excellence, the "law-and-order" community of the 
Far North, for the splendidly organized Northwest 
Mounted Police rules absolutely, and the disorderly ele- 
ment has no inclination to combat that authoritv. 



FORTY MILE, YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA 

C ITUATED on the Yukon, at the confluence of Forty 
Mile Creek with that stream, fifty-three miles be- 
low Dawson. 

Gold production of this section season 1906, estimated, 
$350,000.00. 

This is the pioneer mining camp of the Yukon Valley. 
Gold was discovered on Bonanza Bar about fifteen miles 
up Forty Mile Creek, in the summer of 1887. There are 
about four hundred men at work on streams tributary 
to this creek, and the output, although not extremely 
heavy, is steady. 

Gold-dredging has been begun- on Forty Mile Creek 
and large deposits of low grade gravel will probably be 
worked profitably. 

EAGLE, ALASKA 

C ITUATED at the confluence of IMission Creek with 
the Yukon, forty-nine miles below Forty Mile. 

Gold production of section in 1906, estimated, $80,- 
000.00. 

Gold was discovered during the summer of 1896 on 
American Creek, a tributary of Mission Creek, about 
three miles from its mouth. While the output of the 
district is not large, many good prospects have been 
found. 

Eagle is of especial importance as being the site of 
a U. S. Army post and frontier U. S. Custom House and 
the terminus of the Valdez-Eagle mail route and tele- 
graph line. It is but fourteen miles from the boundary 
line. 

CIRCLE CITY, ALASKA 

C ITUATED on the Yukon River, 190 miles belov/ 

Eagle. 
Gold production of district for sea.son 1906, estimated, 
$250,000.00. 



Gold was discovered . on Birch Creek, within eight 
miles of Circle, as early as 1892. Until the winter of 
1896-1897 this was the most populous camp on the Yu- 
kon, over one thousand miners being quartered in its 
vicinit3^ It was then known as the largest log-cabin 
town in the Avorld ; but Fairbanks has since succeeded 
to that title. 

The Klondyke rush almost depopulated Circle, but its 
increase in output of gold indicates that many miners 
have returned and the camp is regaining its old-time 
prosperity. 

FORT YUKON, ALASKA 

CITUATED on the Yukon River, eight3'-five miles be- 
low Circle Cit3^ This post was established in 1846 
or 1847 by McMurray of the powerful Hudson's Bay 
Company, probably with the idea that he was settling 
on the Canadian side of the boundary. 

Fort Yukon has never been of importance as a min- 
ing center but has long been a great fur-trading post for 
the Indians from the Porcupine River and is of consid- 
erable interest as an example of the hardihood of the 
Hudson Bay Company's pioneers. Heretoo, the mid- 
night sun can be observed to advantage in mid-summer, 
this being the most northerly point on the Yukon River 
and just inside the Arctic Circle. 



RAMPART, ALASKA. 

CITUATED on the Yukon River, 328 miles below 
Circle City. 

Gold production of the district for season 1906, esti- 
mated, $350,000.00; this despite an exceptionally dry sea- 
son which greatly retarded mining operations. 

Gold was first discovered on Minook Creek, about one- 
half mile below the town, in 1895, by two white men — 
Jim Langford and Pete Johnson — and a half-breed Rus- 




AUDITORIUM 



sian named Minook, whose name was afterward g■i^'e^ to 
the creek. No considerable amount of development 
work was done in the section until the summer of 1897. 
This camp is regarded as one of the most even pro- 
ducers in Alaska. 

XANANA, ALASKA 

CITUATED at the confluence of the Tanana River 
with the Yukon, eighty miles below Rampart. 

This point is not yet of importance as a gold-produc- 
er but has long been a meeting-place for the Indians of 
the surrounding countrj-, who bring their season's furs 
to trade with the white men. 

In 1900, Tanana, gained its first prominence through 
the establishment there of a U. S. Army post (Fort 
Gibbon) and, since the discovery of rich gold fields on 
the upper Tanana and its selection as a transfer point 
for freight and passengers between the through Yvikon 
River boats and the Tanana River steamers, it has 
grown in importance. 

FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 

'X'HIS is the Bonanza Camp of Alaska. The fall of 
1902 brought to the outside world the first tidings 
of "gold discoveries in this section. 

The numerous exaggerated reports of rich discoveries 
in Alaska, which have at intervals been circulated, caused 
the public to be skeptical, but contrary to expe^;tation, 
the stories proved to be true, and the fourth year ■'i-i op- 
eration, 1906, saw the remarkable output of $9,000,000.00 
from these diggings. 

Conditions for mining are the best to be found any- 
where in Central Alaska. Timber and water are plenti- 
ful and, the climate being milder, the open season is 
longer than elsewheiC. 

The remoteness of the camp has favored its success. 
Situated as it is 300 miles up the Tanana River and 1,200 



miles b}- the regular transportation routes from tide-wa- 
ter, it drew its earlier population from the less attrac- 
tive camps of /\laska. \'igorous, experienced miner- 
flocked from Nome and the Klondyke, as well as many 
of the smaller diggings, with the result that operations 
were immediately commenced on an intelligent basis. 
Probably ten thousand miners, many of them with their 
families, are now in this section. 

The topography of the country is low hills, well 
rounded, with broad creek-beds which seem to be gola- 
bearing throughout their entire width. These creeks all 
carry good heads of water. Bed-rock is found at depths 
varying from ten to sixty feet. 

Tt is difficult to estimate the extent of the placers, fo' 
new strikes are being reported by prospectors who are 
continualh^ working further afield. The first diggings 
were within a radius of twenty-five miles from Fair- 
banks, but the breadth of the field is constantly growing 
and reports are coming in from creeks over a hundred 
miles distant. 

The prosperous city of Fairbanks is the metropolis of 
this great district. It is the headquarters of the Thinl 
Judicial District of Alaska and therefore the seat of gov- 
ernment icr this section of the territory. 

The city possesses electric light and water systems, 
an efficient fire department, good hotels, schools, church- 
es, hospitals, daily newspapers and a telephone system 
which not only operates locally but serves the principal 
creeks as well. This feature enables operators to trans- 
act business without consuming valuable time in jour- 
neying between their claims and the city. There is also a 
telegraph line to the outside world which is most excel- 
lently operated and maintained by the U. S. Govern- 
ment. 

The Tanana Mines Railway connecting Fairbanks City 
With the town of Chena and the principal mining claims 
of the uistnct is an important factor in local transporta- 




ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 



tion, for all classes of supplies, even to the heaviest min- 
ing machinery may be moved over its line at a minimum 
expenditure of time and effort at all seasons. 

Fairbanks winter communication with the outside 
world depends, principall)^ upon the excellent stage ser- 
vice conducted from A'aldez by the E. S. Orr Co. This 
route is 373 miles long, but frequent road-houses furnish 
excellent meals and sleeping accommodations so that 
the trip may be made comfortably. The service is semi- 
weekly and all stages carry U. S. mail and handle a lim- 
ited amount of express matter. 



NULATO, ALASKA 

CITUATED on the Yukon River, 291 miles below 

Tanana. 
The station was founded in 1838 by one Malakoft", a 
half-breed Russian in the employ of the Russian-Ameri- 
can Company, and has the bloodiest history of any of 
the Yukon settlements. It was repeatedl)^ destroyed by 
Indians of the vicinity, who were jealous of the intrusion 
of the whites. The most notable of these atrocities was 
the murder of Lieutenant Bernard and two companions 
from the British warship "Enterprise" in 185 1, by In- 
dians from the Koyukuk River. 

Bernard was in search of tidings of Sir John Franklin 
the Arctic explorer. He unfortunately proposed to "send 
for" a certain influential chief of the Kojaikuk tribe. This 
chief, to whom the remark was reported, considering 
himself insulted, descended upon Nulato with his war- 
riors and massacred, not only the white men, but many 
of the Nulato Indians, with whom his tribe had a per- 
manent feud. This atrocity was never avenged. 

Xulato is now one of the largest and most prosper- 
ous Indian settlements along the river. 

A herd of over two hundred reindeer is quartered 
here. 



ST. MICHAEL, ALASKA 

CITUATED on St. Michael Island, on the coast of the 
Bering Sea, about sixty miles north of the mouth 
of the Yukon river, 1,600 miles from Dawson and 2,846 
miles by ocean steamer from San Francisco. This set- 
tlement was founded in 1833 by Michael Tebenkoff, an 
officer of the Russian-American Company. It was origi- 
nally named Michaelovski Redoubt. 

The buildings of the Russians were of spruce logs 
brought by the sea from the Yukon and Kuskowim riv- 
ers, as absolutely no timber grows in the vicinity. The 
post was well fortified to guard against attack by the 
Indians. Some of the original post buildings are yet 
standing and are a part of the N. C. Co. plant. 

St. Michael is a U. S. Military Reservation and the 
several mercantile companies established here operate 
under permit from the Government. The station is of 
great importance as the transfer point for passenger and 
freight traffic destined to points in the Yukon valley, 
from ocean steamer to riA'-er boat. 



NOME 

nrmS district has long since dispelled any feeling of in- 
security on the part of mining investors. In 1900 
the placer discoveries were confined to a few creeks in 
the immediate vicinity of Nome City. Now the districts 
of Topkuk, Solomon, Council and Golovin Bay, 100 miles 
to eastward, and a chain of diggings extending up the 
coast and into the Kotzebue Sound country, including 
the rich Kougarok and Blue Stone districts, and as far 
as Keewalik (Candle Creek) and the Kowak river, all 
bring their stories of rich placer diggings and add their 
quota to the ever-swelling output of that great aurifer- 
ous district generally designated as Nome. A few sen- 
sational discoveries have been made, but, while these 
demonstrate the richness of the country, the permanency 




EMERGENCY HOSPITAL 



of tlie camp depends rather on the hundreds of hard- 
working, tenacious miners who are quietly accumulating 
snug little fortunes on the creeks throughout the entire 
Seward Peninsula. Strong, hardy men readily find em- 
ployment on these claims. The wages paid are good 
and generally include board and lodging. 

There is a vast accessible territoi-y, as yet undis- 
turbed by the prospector's pick, easily aA^ailable to such 
as are able and willing to undergo the hardship of pros- 
pectors' trips. 

Nome City, situated directly upon the shore of Beh- 
ring Sea, has a summer population of about 7,000 and in 
winter 2,500. The municipal government is competent 
and energetic and the city has complete water and elec- 
tric light systems. Many stores, with large stocks of 
merchandise, furnish, at reasonable prices, all the neces- 
sities and most of the luxuries of life, while fresh provi- 
sions, including meats, may be obtained the year round. 
There are several well-appointed hotels and a number of 
places of amusement, also public schools and churches 
of several denominations. A wireless system to St. 
Michael, no miles distant across Norton Sound, there 
connecting with the. land lines of the Government sys- 
tem, gives Nome efficient telegraph service to the rest 
of the world. 



TOUR THROUGH CENTRAL ALASKA 

Features of the Itinerary. 
T^ HE newest thing in excursions is a trip from San 
Francisco and Seattle, via Skagway, to Dawson, 
thence to St. Michael (with the option of a side trip to 
Fairbanks), from St. Michael to Nome, and then back 
to Seattle or San Francisco by ocean steamer. The total 
distance covered is about 5,650 miles, and the journey 
may be accomplished in thirt}'' days. 

The idea of Central Alaska as an excursion field will 
strike the tourist as extremely novel — probably never 
before considered. 

The first stage of the journey is from San Francisco, 
or Seattle, to Skagway. 

At Skagway we board the train on the most north- 
erly railroad on the continent — a portion of the system 
of the White Pass and Yukon Route — and journey thus 
112 miles to White Horse, through scenery surpassing 
in grandeur that of Colorado and Switzerland. 

At White Horse, transfer is made to one of the ex 
cellent steamers of this same system, and our journey 
down the mighty Yukon has commenced. 

After traversing 460 miles of river and lake, passing 
through the Five Fingers Rapids and Gorge, we reach 
Dawson. There the tourist takes a larger lower river 
steamer and continues the journey down the mighty 
Yukon. 




I 


•^ 


in 


m 


h 


Zl 


q: 


_i 


DQ 


D 




U 



INSIDE PASSAGE FROM TACOMA TO NOME 



S' 



FURS OF THE YUKON 

,OME of the furs found in Yukon and Alaska are 
the best in the world, although they are not as 
numerous as they were a few years ago, as this book says, 
that many trappers have gone to prospecting and min- 
ing, which has driven the fur bearing animals in the 
far mountains and forests. The Indians did a great deal 
of trapping, then brought them into camp along the 
Yukon and traded for provisions. Among the fur bear- 
ing animals are found beavers, mink, marten, red, gray, 
black and silver tip fox, wolf, bear, moose and caribou. 




FURS OF YUKON 



MINING ON CLEARY CREEK, TANANA 

""T HE Tanana gold district embraces the rivers and 
creeks tributary to the Tanana river, in the vicinity 
of Chena and Fairbanks, vriiich are the two chief supply 
points for the entire Tanana valley. Fairbanks is one 
of the largest cities in Alaska, and the largest in the 
interior. It is i,ooo miles from Dawson by steamer. 
The Tanana :\Iines railroad operates passenger and 
freight trains throughout the year between Chena, Fair- 
banks and Gilmore, the present terminus, a distance of 
about twenty-six miles. It is expected the railroad Avill 
be extended to the Dome at Cleary creek during the 
summer of 1907, thus permitting all the creeks in the 
vicinitv to be reached at all seasons of the year. 



STARTING ON THE VOYAGE 

p\URING the summer season all of the Southeastern 
Alaska liners sail at 9 a. m. As the vessel glides 
away from Seattle in the direction of Port Townsend, 
one after one the hundreds of buildings fade away until 
finally you lose sight of the city and the vessel is steam- 
ing over the peaceful waters of Puget Sound. 

After the docks fade from view the vessel follows 
a direct course from Seattle to Port Townsend, the first 
place of call after leaving Elliott Bay. 

As it is situated on a high hill, the passenger has a 
fine view of Port Townsend from the decks of the ship. 
This place is a city rapidly increasing in population. It 
is the county seat of Jeft'erson county and one of the best 
places in the state. 

Upon leaving Port Townsend the vessel follows a 
course across the beautiful waters of the straits of Juan 
de Fuca to Haro Straits. While in that body of water 
the tourist crosses the boundary line separating the Unit- 
ed States and British Columbia. The line is marked by 
Turn Point lighthouse. 

After a journey of several hours. Active Pass is 
reached. Here is a narrow body of water about two and 
one-half miles in length. AMien the tide is changing the 
waters rush and foam through the pass, throwing spray 
high against the rocks on the shore line of the islands. 

The vessel next threads her way over the glassy waters 
of the Gulf of Georgia to Cape kludge, a distance of 102 
miles. A short sail through picturesque Discovery Pass 
finds the vessel at the entrance to Seymour Narrows. 
There at times the waters rush through at the rate of 
fifteen knots an hour. The next body of water is John- 
stone Strait, and then the vessel finds her way between 
the islands of Broughton channel. 



A Taste of the Sea. 

Until the entrance of Broughton channel is reached 
the vessel follows a course between hundreds of islands 
which insure absolute safety from storms and rough 
weather. From the channel the vessel next crosses an 
arm of the ocean known as Queen Charlotte Sound. The 
distance across this body of water is thirty-seven miles. 

On one side of the vessel will be observed the shore 
line, while on the opposite side of the deck is the broad 
expanse of the Pacific ocean. Here the toruist will find 
just a suggestion of the sea. The vessel rides the swells 
like a swan and the motion of the boat is not great 
enough to cause seasickness. 

After Queen Charlotte Sound has been crossed, the 
vessel again picks up her course by the aid of the many 
familiar landmarks and speeds through Fitzhugh Sound 
— quiet body of water. From there the vessel next 
reaches historic Lama passage. Being in British waters, 
a bit of early Indian history will be interesting to the 
tourist. 

On the part side of the ship, dotting the shore line, 
will be seen a row of deserted houses. Some distance 
further up the beach is a new village springing up. It 
is the old and new Bella Bella settlement. The first 
place passed was deserted by the Indians during the 
year 1901. Owing to disease a large number died, and 
superstition drove those who remained from their old 
homes. The old Bella Bella was deserted and the new 
Bella Bella inhabited within 24 hours. 

The old Bella Bella village was one of the old Hud- 
son bay trading posts and during the early days many 
valuable furs were purchased from the natives in ex- 
change for trinkets and firearms. It is related by early 
settlers that the experienced traders would take a gun 
and, placing the weapon upright on the ground, would 
then pile furs to the end of the barrel. The Indian would 




JEFFERSON 



give the furs in exchange for the weapon, and, it is said, 
often a trader would secure furs and hides valued at 
thousands of dollars for several old sfuns. 



INTERESTING INDIAN HISTORY 

COME years ago the Bella Bella Indians were at war 
with a tribe known as the Bella Coola's. The mem- 
bers of the latter tribe were nearly all exterminated dur- 
ing the tribal wars which followed. The Bella Bella 
Indians at last moved from one of the larger islands on 
the British Columbia coast and located on a long stretch 
of land in the placid waters of Lama passage, where 
they have since lived by trading, hunting and fishing. 

During the voyage to Alaska the tourist will there 
see the first totem poles along the line of travel. On sev- 
eral points of land in the vicinity of the village will be 
observed the graveyards containing the bodies of many 
a dusky brave who fell during the war with hostile 
tribes. 

The members of that particular tribe bury their dead 
in small houses. The graves can be distinguished from 
the places of abode by the presence of the totem. In 
each instance the pole has been erected directly in front 
of the entrance to the grave and designates to which 
family the deceased belonged. 

Leaving Lama Passage the vessel proceeds through 
Seaford Channel into Alillbank Sound, and from there 
through Lovers' Lane into Graham's Reach. After pas- 
sing through AIcKay Reach, AA'right Sound, Greenville 
Channel and Chatham Sound the vessel leaves British 
waters and reaches Dixon Entrance. There the bound- 
ary line is again crossed and the tourist is in sight of 
the shore line of Southeastern Alaska. 

The course takes the ship past Port Simpson, which 
can be seen on the starboard side of the vessel. Cape 
Fox is also passed, which is the most southeastern por- 



tion of Alaska. L^pon leaving Dixon Entrance the ves- 
sel proceeds up Revilla Gigedo Channel into Tongas 
Narrows and in a very short time the thriving city of 
Ketchikan comes into view. 

Ketchikan is a subport of entry, located on the north 
side of Tongas Narrows abreast of Pennock Island. It 
extends one-half mile westward from the mouth of Fish 
Creek. This cit}^ is the distributing point for miners' 
supplies for that portion of Southeast Alaska and has an 
assay ofifice. There is a large canner}^ just east of Ketch- 
ikan which is in operation during the open season. 

KETCHIKAN A THRIVING CITY 

pROBABLY no place in Alaska is enjoying the rapid 
growth at the present time like Ketchikan. The 
population is increasing rapidly and the public schools 
will soon have to be enlarged to accommodate the many 
pupils. Then there are churches of several denomina- 
tions. There are also perfect electric light, water and 
steam heating systems, and, in fact, Ketchikan is one of 
the most up-to-date places in the north. 

Ketchikan is noted .for its water supply. The city 
has run pipes to the falls of the Ketchikan river, which 
gives the citizens an opportunity to procure water direct 
from this cold and refreshing stream. It is said to be 
the best system in Alaska. Ketchikanites need have no 
fears of disease germs lurking in their drinking water. 

No tourist visiting the north should fail to spend 
some time in this metropolitan city. There he will find 
several curio shops open for inspection. By walking a 
short distance from the center of the place he will see 
the many small shacks containing members of the once 
famous tribe of Thlingit Indians. Totem poles are nu- 
merous and at Ketchikan is located the famous Kyam 
totem. 

Then a jaunt of two miles along the Ketchikan river 




ALASKA TOTEM POLES 





HAINES AND FT. SEWARD 




1 ^^ ^k '^< Hk 



JUNEAU 



to the citj-'s intake is interesting. A walk has been built 
near the bank of this winding stream, and the tourist 
wends his wa)' among the timber until the first falls are 
reached. 

AA'ithin a radius of twenty miles from Ketchikan are 
\-aluable quartz mines. On Prince of Wales and Gravina 
Islands are good paying properties, and recently several 
rich strikes have been made. The mines are among the 
best in Alaska. 

Ketchikan is the first American port of entry. The 
custom house was formerly at Tongas, but was later 
moved to Mary Island. Four years ago the government 
recognized the fact that Ketchikan was one of the best 
places in the north and decided to move the custom house 
there. Then Ketchikan has a newspaper and the busi- 
ness houses are among the largest in Alaska, All of the 
merchants carry heavy stocks and are enjoying pros- 
perity. 

Leaving Tongas Narrows, the ship glides into Clar- 
ence Strait, which is another beautiful body of northern 
water. The tourist will now see Prince of Wales Island 
to the left of the ship, and Etolin Island to the right. 
Prince of Wales Island is about no miles long and runs 
northwest and southwest and is indented with hundreds 
of bays and inlets. 

Passing out of Clarence Strait, the tourist will next 
observe that the vessel has taken a course leading 
through Stephen Passage and thence into Wrangel Nar- 
rows. Here the government will spend more than 
$2,000,000 widening and deepening the channel. The 
narrows are between Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands. 
Near the northern end of the narrows is the new town of 
Petersljurgf. 



VILLAGE OF PETERSBURG 

'T'HIS place is now the headquarters for the halibut 
schooners, and while the vessel glides through the 
narrows it will be noticed that many small canneries and 
fishing stations dot the shore- line. There fishermen live 
the year around, sending their catch to the cities on the 
Sound by the passenger steamships. 

Petersburg was founded about five years ago by 
Peter T. Buschman, of Tacoma. The industrious citi- 
zens of the place boast of having the second largest can- 
nery in Alaska, where each season more than 400 persons 
find employment. Then, one of the largest sawmills in 
Southeastern Alaska is located at Petersburg. 

After leaving Petersburg it is not long before the ves- 
sel reaches Frederick Sound, and there the tourist is 
given an opportunity to behold many mighty glaciers. 
Huge chunks of ice break from the LeConte glacier and 
find their way to the sea past Cape Fanshaw. 

As the vessel draws closer to Lynn Canal the moun- 
tains seem to tower higher than ever and the vast ice 
fields are almost innumerable. Here it will be seen that 
the mountain sides are clothed to the snow line with for- 
ests of timber and foliage. The valleys contain vast riv- 
ers of ice and the high peaks are snow-capped both sum- 
mer and winter. 

In Frederick Sound the vessel passes close to Patter- 
son and Baird glaciers, which keep Stephens Passage 
full of ice during the winter season. 

In Stephens Passage will be seen the famous Sum- 
dum glacier, which feeds to the sea through Endicoot 
Arm. Leaving the narrow strait the vessel next passes 
through Holkham Bay, Port Snettisham and Taku har- 
bor, where more canneries are operated. Crossing Taku 
Inlet, the vessel encounters the ice floes from the Taku 




DOLPHIN 




MOUNTAIN OF SNOW AND ICE 



ALASKA TOTEM POLE 



glacier. Entering Gastineau Channel, which separates 
Douglas Island from the mainland, the ship comes with- 
in view of the big stamp mill of Treadwell. 

At Treadwell are located the largest quartz mills in 

the world. There are about 900 stamps in operation day 
and night. Hundreds of men are employed and the net 
profits of the owners are said to reach thousands of dol- 
lars each day, vvith millions of tons of ore still in sight. 

DOUGLAS AND JUNEAU 

A SHORT distance from Treadwell is found Douglas, 
fast becoming one of the business centers of Alas- 
ka. It is the residential portion of Treadwell, and in the 
near future promises to be one of the largest cities in 
Alaska. 

About a mile from Douglas lies the city of Juneau, 
which is practically at the head of navigation in Gas- 
tineau Channel. Juneau is easily the largest and princi- 
pal business port of Southeastern Alaska. The place is 
connected by steam ferry with Douglas, and, having a 
perfect water system and electric lights, it is a live and 
up-to-date place. 

At Juneau will be seen the old and famous log cabin 
which was erected more than twenty years ago. It was 
first used as a home and later as a Presbyterian church. 
Juneau now has several modern church buildings, be- 
sides a schoolhouse and courthouse. 

The government cable has finally been completed and 
now Juneau, like several other important towns in Alas- 
ka, is in communication with the outside by telegraph. 
The citizens receive the news of the world in the two 
daily papers published by enterprising newspaper men. 

The population of Juneau is now said to be morv-i 
than 3,000. The merchants are enjoying a good trade 



from the surrounding mining camps and many carry a 
stock costing upwards of $75,000. Juneau being the cap- 
ital, most of the government officers reside here. Two 
important mining sections are the Silver Bow and Sheep 
Creek. Recently a telephone system was installed and 
during the summer and winter theatrical performances 
are given in the Juneau opera house. 

Tourists will find Juneau and Douglas both interest- 
ing places to visit. A trip to Alaska is not complete un- 
less an inspection is made of the famous Treadwell 
mines. 

After the three places named above have been visited, 
the vessel starts out on a course heading direct for Lynn 
Canal. Before the end of the journey the government 
military post at Haines comes into view. 



HAINES 

A AINES is a mission and postoffice on the west side 
of Portage Cove. It is the principal outfitting point 
for the Porcupine mining district, on a branch of the 
Chilkat river about forty miles from the town. This dis- 
trict is also reached by a trail along the north side of 
the river connecting with the old Dalton trail. 

SKAGWAY, THE LYNN CANAL CITY 

CITUATED in a valley at the mouth of the Skagway 
river is the city of Skagway. It is one of the lar- 
gest, yet youngest cities in the north. In the early days 
the vast army of miners and prospectors headed for Daw- 
son and the Klondike left the vessels there and followed 
the now famous White Pass trail to Bennett. 

The city is the terminus of the White Pass & Yukon 
railrdad, one of the most scenic railways in the world. 
During the summer months the freight is shipped to 







''10' 



-iS^^S'"""** 



'm 



r^ 



NOME CITY, ALASKA 



Skagway and there loaded into the cars and taken to 
Caribou for shipment to the Atlin district or on to White 
House to be transferred to the river steamers bound for 
Dawson. 

Skagway is the leading hotel city of Alaska. Among 
the best hotel buildings in the north are to be found 
there. 

It may be said that Skagway is a city supported by 
transient trade. All persons coming out from Dawson 
usually spend several days in the city, and those bound 
north do likewise. There are many business houses in 
Skagway and the merchants carry big stocks of goods 
of all kinds. 

A short distance from Skagway are numerous lakes 
where fishermen have little trouble in catching a basket- 
ful of speckled beauties. Many hunters make Skagway 
their headquarters during the summer months, and few 
tourists leave the city out of their itinerary. 

Skagway has two daily papers, churches, schools, and 
many fine residences, besides substantial business blocks 
The city has been enjoying a steady growth for years 
and promises to remain among the larger ports of South- 
eastern Alaska. 

Skagway has a perfect water system, is well located, 
and the streets and buildings are well lighted ; has an 
opera house and in many ways is as modern as the cities 
of Washington, Oregon and California. 

LIVE AND DEAD GLACIERS 

■"T RAVELERS who journey to Alaska will find that 
the residents have applied the term "live glaciers" to 
ice-fields discharging into the ocean. Those located on 
the mountain slopes far above sea level are generally re- 
ferred to as glaciers of the Alpine type because they so 



resemble the glacial-ice of the Alps in Switzerland. Gla- 
ciers which formerly discharged into large bodies of 
water but are now separated by moraines are termed 
"dead glaciers." Often old navigators will refer to the 
Davidson glacier as dead, since it is separated from the 
water's edge by Glacier Point. 

By traversing the deep valleys leading from Skagway, 
Juneau, Haines or Ketchikan, a great many small gla- 
ciers can be seen on the adjacent mountains. They are 
the source of swift rivers which wind in and about the 
the valleys until they finally reach the ocean. Close to 
Skagway is the great "S" glacier, so called because in 
appearance it resembles that letter of the alphabet. Uper 
glacier is an extension of the "S" glacier. These glaciers 
are not more than ten miles from Skagway and are the 
source of a river which flows from the narrow and rock- 
lined valley leading to the summit of the White Pass 
mountains. Both glaciers, together with other ice fields 
in a radius of ten to fifteen miles from the Lynn Canal 
city, have lately been visited by tourists and some excel- 
lent photographs taken. 

It is only in recent years that excursionists have been 
given an opportunity to explore the many glaciers of 
Southeastern Alaska, and now a trip to the north is not 
complete unless the tourist wanders for a day over some 
great stretch of ice, beholding the beautiful color effects 
as the sun's rays dance about on these dazzling serpents 
of glacial-ice. One of the largest inland glaciers in North 
America is located not far from the shores of Lake Atlin, 
in British Columbia. It is familiarly called the Llewellyn 
glacier and extends for miles over the mountainous coun- 
try in that vicinity. Often trips are made from Atlin to 
this glacier and excellent photographs have been shown 
by enthusiastic tourists. The surface of many of the 
northern glaciers is exceedingly rough, owing to the 
presence of crevasses and unequal melting. It takes an 




KODIAK, ALASKA 



LANDING 
HORSES 




experienced glacier climber to find his way over the ice- 
fields without accident. Joseph LeConte, George David- 
son, John Muir and other explorers of note were among 
the first persons to write of Alaska's wonderful glacial- 
ice and the vast beds they discovered still retain their 
names. 

GLACIER CLIMBING IN ALASKA 

T T would be advisable for tourists to procure the ser- 
vices of an experienced guide before an attempt is 
made to climb one of Alaska's glaciers. In the towns 
along the southeastern coast are men of experience in 
that line who will pilot any number of pleasure seekers 
over the surface of one of these ice beds and take them 
to points where an unobstructed view of crevasses and 
floating ice-beds may be had without the least fear of an 
accident. Persons intending to climb about on a glacier 
should provide themselves with alpine sticks and creep- 
ers. The blunt instrument fastened to one of these sticks 
is used to cut steps in steep places as well as to support 
the weight of the climber and act as a balance pole. The 
steel creepers are fastened to the shoes and it is almost 
impossible for a person to lose his footing with this de- 
vice properly secured. 

Those who may desire to explore one or more of 
Alaska's wonderful glaciers had best disembark from 
the steamship at Skagway or Juneau and prepare for a 
trip. The necessary paraphernalia will be furnished the 
tourists at any of the many curio stores or photograph 
galleries. It is possible that the proprietor of one of 
these places will ofifer his services for a reasonable sum, 
and if the excursionists are fortunate enough to be ac- 
companied by men of wide experience in glacier-climbing 
they will be guided to the beauty spots of these limitless 
bodies of ice. During the summer months the climate 
of Alaska is very similar to that of the cities along the 
coast of Oregon and Washington. It will not be neces- 



sary for the tourists to burden themselves with heavy 
clothing for such a trip, and clad in light garments they 
can roam about on the glaciers, taking snapshots at the 
overhanging ice cliffs or stopping now and then to mar- 
vel at the scenic beauties surrounding them. 

Colors of the fractured ice are as varied as the ever- 
changing forms they assume. As the vessels pass close 
to these fields of dazzding whiteness it will be noticed 
that many of the bergs are of the color of turquoise. 
Surfaces of glaciers that have been longest exposed to 
the atmosphere are always white and glittering, while 
the caverns reveal the intense blue of the crystal mass to 
be seen within. The Ight issuing from the interior of 
the deeper recesses is of the darkest ultra-marine, so 
deep that it appears almost black in contrast with the 
brilliant outer surface. The colors in the ice walls of 
glaciers terminating at tide water run from indigo to 
light blue, and the tourist never grows weary watching 
the colors change as the great pieces of ice tumble into 
the water from the serrated crest of the glaciers. These 
crumbling cliffs are a ruin that is constantly renewed 
among northern ice-fields. 



GLACIERS OF INSIDE PASSAGE 

A S the vessels pass through Wrangel Narrows anji 
emerge into the placid waters of Frederick Sound the 
first floating ice is usually seen by the tourists. After 
the steamer swings to the left, Patterson, Baird and Ele- 
phant glaciers come into view. They occupy clefts higli 
up the sides of the mountains and glacier-ice from these 
fields does not reach tide water. Another glacier is seen 
on the starboard side. This will be the tourist's first 
view of a "live" glacier. The Indians have given the 
ice-field the name of Hutli. LeConte glacier is at the 
head of LeConte bay, on the north side of Frederick 
Sound. 




WHERE ICEBERGS FLOW 



Sailing from the sound into Stephens Passage, the 
Sumdum glacier is seen. In Taku Inlet is the famous 
Taku glacier. It is a typical tide water glacier. Near 
the Taku glacier is a sheet of ice known as Windham 
glacier. The next glacier visible is iNIendenhall, or Auk 
glacier, 1,027 feet above sea level. Other ice-fields passed 
in that body of water are Rainbow and Bertha, but there 
are many large and small glaciers that have never been 
explored. Two in particular which have an elevation of 
over 6,000 feet. Just after passing Haines Mission, Fere- 
bee and three other glaciers are seen, the last in this 
great panorama extending over hundreds of miles, from 
AA'rangel Narrows to Skagway. 



TOTEM POLES AND INDIAN MYTHOLOGY 

|\/| ANY persons are unfamiliar with the Indian history 
of Alaska, and a great deal of mystery has been 
thrown around the numerous totem columns in the na- 
tive villages along the southeastern coast of Uncls 
Sam's new district. These pictographic carvings are a 
source of interest to tourists visiting the north, and are 
not idols, as might be supposed, but in a general way 
may be said to be family registers. 

The legends which the totem poles illustrate are the 
nursery tales and traditions of a primitive people. The 
totemic and commemorative carvings are usually sym- 
bolical of the subjects they represent, and there is always 
some arbitrary mark on a pole whereby members of var- 
ious tribes can distinguish one symbol from another. 
Due to reticence and deliberate misconception on the 
part of the Indians themselves, many weird and untrue 
stories have been circulated about the Alaska totems. 

All the northern Indian tribes show ingenuity in their 



carvings, and great skill is exhibited on many of the to- 
tems standing about the streets of Wrangel, Ketchikan, 
Tongas, Killisnoo, Kasaan, Howkan and other northern 
ports where steamships call. 

Totems, and they mighty be likened to our heraldry, 
are constantly changing. The clan totems tend to be- 
come phrateries, split up into sub-phrateries. The sub- 
phrateries decay and finally disappear. AVhen an Indian 
becomes wealthy from his fishing and hunting expedi- 
tions his totem, or rather his crest or sub-totem, rises 
with him as he advances in importance in his tribe. 

It is said that a single system extends throughout the 
different tribes of the Haida Indians, and the totems 
among them are the eagle, thrasher, crow, wolf, black 
and brown bears. Often sub-totems are formed from 
the naming of a child after some natural object. Totem 
poles erected in front of the dwellings of the Alaska na- 
tives are for the most part a history of the families own- 
ing them. The figure on the top of the pole is usually 
the principal symbol of the male occupant. Following 
down the pole the various grotesque carvings represent 
traditional folklore or events connected with the early 
history of the tribe. 

Historians assert that little is generally known of the 
real meaning of these carvings found in nearly every 
village in Southeastern Alaska, and little attention has 
probably been given to the systematic study of the my- 
thology of the race. 

The religion of the Indian is spiritualism, and the 
figures on the totems represent a class of material ob- 
jects which every native regards with superstitious re- 
spect. 





i 

- ^^i^iii i i ii-fltflrrTTTy * 'iii T iii i|^ 




STEAMER VICTORIA 



SEATTLE TO SKAGWAY 

'X'HE Alaska flyers, the Jefferson and the Dolphin, 
are two of the most popular, best and fastest boats 
in the Alaska service. The Jefferson is a new ocean 
going steamer, built by the company at Tacoma ex- 
pressly for the Southeastern Alaska service, the plans 
being based on years of observation and experience in 
Alaska waters. She has a large freight capacity under 
decks, and enjoys the distinction of being the only 
steamer running to Alaska that is equipped almost ex- 
clusively with large two-berth rooms, which are so 
much more satisfactory to passenger thans three-berth 
rooms. The social hall and ladies' parlor and smoking 
rooms are large and luxuriously furnished. She is a new 
vessel, launched April 2, 1904, 226 feet long, beam 3S 
feet, depth 25 feet, speed about 15 knots. 



The Dolphin is a steel hull, twin-screw steamer, built 
in 1892 by Harlan & Hollingsworth, the well known ship 
builders, at Wilmington, Delaware, and brought around 
the Horn to the Pacific Coast by the Alaska Steamship 



Co., four years ago. She is 225 feet long, 40 feet wide 
and equipped with two sets of high grade triple expan- 
sion engine. She is considered the fastest steamer on the 
route. Her passenger accommodations are of the very 
highest order in point of furnishings, convenience of ar- 
rangements, etc., and with her unexcelled dining service 
and speed, account for her great popularity. 

Then the table service on the vessels of the Alaska 
Steamship Co. are the best. The big liners are well 
provided with everything the market affords. The Jef- 
ferson and Dolphin are fitted with the equipment of a 
first-class hotel. The galley is at all times open for the 
inspection of the passengers, and you will always find 
the stewards and waiters ready to supply your every 
want. Three regular meals are served on the steamships 
each day. In the evening you will find a lunch waiting 
for you in the dining saloon, and upon retiring for the 
night will observe that the steward has preceded you 
to the room and, after seeing that there is proper ven- 
tilation in the apartment, also leaves a dish of assorted 
fruit in case you care to dine for the fifth time before 
retiring. 



-■ --S5* 



'!H W^WfH=^^ 



I 



N. C. CO;S MAIL DOG TEAM 




LEAVING VALDES FOR FAIRBANKS 




ALASKA FISHERMAN 



INDIAN MYTHOLOGY 



A VISIT to Metlakahtla will prove interesting to tour- 
■^^ ists who desire to learn something of the mythol- 
ogy of the Alaska Indian. William Duncan, known all 
over the north as Father Duncan, has devoted the best 
years of his life to the education of the natives, and his 
mission is one of the most progressive in the world. For 
more than forty-seven years he has lived with the Indi- 
ans of Metlkahtla. The many stories he relates of the 
totem have been handed down by the natives from one 
generation to the other. 

Ages ago, according to Father Duncan, the Indians 
adopted totems, or crests, to distinguish the four social 
clans into which the race is said to be divided. The 
names of these clans in the Tsimshean language are the 
kishpootwadda, lackshkeak, canadda and lackshkeak. 
The kishpootwadda's are more numerous in Alaska and 
are represented symbolically by the finback whale in the 
sea, the grizzly bear on land, the grouse in the air and 
the sun and stars in the heavens. The canadda sym- 
bols are the frog, raven, starfish and bullhead. The b.ch- 
eboo took the wolf, heron and the grizzly bear for their 
totems, while the lackshkeaks have the eagle, beaver and 
the halibut. 

The creatures are regarded by the Indians as the vis- 



ible representatives- of the powerful and mythical beings 
of the native mythology. As all of any one of the groups 
are said to be of the same kindred, members of a clan 
whose heraldic symbols are identical are counted as 
blood relations. Strange as it may seem, this relation- 
ship holds good should the persons belonging to different 
or hostile tribes speak a difTerent language or be located 
thousands of miles apart. 

The Indians on being asked to explain how this no- 
tion of relationship originated, point back to a remote 
age when their ancestors lived in a most beautiful land. 
It was then that the mythical creatures, whose symbols 
they still retain, revealed themseh'es to the heads of the 
families of that day. 

Many of the Alaska Indians still relate a traditional 
story of a flood which came over and submerged the 
land spreading death and destruction everywhere. Those 
who escaped in their canoes drifted about and scattered 
in every direction. When the flood subsided they set- 
tled on the land where their boats rested and formed 
new tribal associations. 

Thus it was that persons related by blood became 
widely separated. They still clung, however, to the sym- 
bols which had distinguished them and their families. 
To the present day the Alaska Indians have sacredly 
followed the old customs. The crests continue to mark 
the offspring of the original founders of the -family. 




FLOWERS SURROUNDING MANY HOMES IN THE YUKON AND ALASKA 



ERECTION OF TOTEMS 



T T is the ambition of all leading members of each clan 
in the several tribes to represent their symbols of 
heraldry by carving or painting on all their belongings. 
Upon the death of the head of a family a totem pole is 
erected in front of the house of the successor on which 
is generally carved the symbolical creatures of the dead 
Indian's clan. The crests also define the bonds of con- 
sanguinity and persons having the same crest are for- 
bidden to intermarry. 

A frog may not marry a frog, or a vi^hale a whale, 
but a frog may marry a wolf and a whale may be united 
in marriage to an eagle. Among some tribes in Alaska 
the marriage restrictions are still further narrowed and 
persons of different crests do not intermarry if the 
creatures of their clans have the same instincts. 



That is, a canadda may not marry a lackshkeak be- 
cause the raven of one crest and the eagle of the other 
seek to devour the same kind of food. The kishpoot- 
wadda may not marry a lacheboo since the grizzly bear 
and the wolf, representing those crests, are both car- 
nivorous. 

Strange Indians entering a village are never at a loss 
for food or shelter. It is only necessary for them to go 
to a house belonging to one of their crests and they 
are always sure of a hearty welcome. The kinship 
claimed and maintained in each tribe prevents many 
feuds, and restores peace when fighting has ensued. In 
cases where marauding parties have been out in search 
of. slaves they have released all persons of their own 
crest captured. In contests between two tribes there 
usually remain non-combatants whose duty it is to watch 
for an opportunity to interpose in the interest of peace 
and order. 



^^^ 






5<a^ 




Tkf4r 



^% 



MUSHING THROUGH A BLIZZARD 



SKAGWAY TO DAWSON 



I EAVING Skagway 9:30 in the morning the train 
begins ahnost at once a steady climb over the wild 
and rugged mountains, along the precipitous sides, pass- 
ing the hanging rocks at Clifton, rounding one point 
after another where huge cliffs were blasted away, and 
looking down, hundreds of feet below the track, can be 
seen the foaming, rushing, Skagway river, and the old 
trail over which so many men struggled in their mad 
rush to the Klondike before the railway was built. Still 
ascending, the train passes through the tunnel, thence 
over the steel cantilever bridge, 215 feet above the bot- 
tom of the canyon. The view beheld from this point 
is a scene never to be forgotten. In a few more minutes 
and the summit of White Pass (20 miles from Skagway) 
is reached where the international boundary line divides 
the possessions of the United States and Great Britain. 



I.eaving- the summit the train runs along the Thomp- 
son river, past Middle Lake, and numerous other little 
lakes and streams. At noon Bennett, on the lake of the 
same name, is reached. A stop is made here for luncheon 
which will be found surprisingly good. Continuing the 
train runs along the shores of Lake Bennett for 27 miles 
and is one of the most beautiful train rides imaginable. 
The railway runs on the east side of Lake Bennett along 
the mountain sides, and loking across the lake will be 
seen precipitous mountains rising sheer out of the water. 
At Caribou, at the end of Lake Bennett, 68 miles from 
Skagway, the railroad crosses the most northerly swing 
bridge on the American continent. Hei^e the passenger 
restined for Atlin leaves the train and boards the steamer 
lying at the wharf within a few feet of the station. 
Again passing numerous lakes and streams a glimpse 
is had of Miles canyon. A short stop is made here 
enabling passengers to get a better view of this pictur- 
esque scene. The canyon was named by Lt. Schwatka, 




MIDNIGHT SUN 



who passed through it in 1883, in honor of General 
Miles. It is five-eighths of a mile long and in that inter- 
val the water drops 30 ft. The current runs at the 
rate of 15 miles an hour. Leaving Miles canyon the 
train reaches White Horse, the terminus of the railway 
at 4:30 in the afternoon. 

White Horse is a progressive town and like Skagway 
contains many modern conveniences. The hotel accom- 
modations will be found very satisfactory. A detach- 
ment of the Northwest mounted police is located here. 

The steamers for Dawson usually leave White Horse 
about 8 o'clock in the evening. The tourist will, there- 
fore, have ample time in which to walk back a mile or 
so and view the White Horse rapids, made famous' dur- 
ing the memorable rush to the Klondike, when so many 
men met disaster and sometimes death in the attempt 
to shoot the rapids. 

The trip from AVhite Horse to Dawson is one of 
about 40 hours and throughout the entire trip there is 



always some interesting feature to hold the attention of 
the traveler. 

"The scene is never uninteresting, however. The 
river is tortuous and rapid, its banks generally green 
with luxuriant vegetation and the meadows gay with an 
endless variety of flowers ; one species known as the fire 
weed spreading a flame-like color over patches of hun- 
dreds of acres of sloping country. Again the river leaves 
the meadow lands and pours its flood against the solid 
masonry of earth on whose seared and broken face is 
written for the geologists the history of time. Narrow 
gorges are entered and at one place we are treated to 
the sensation of 'running the rapids' through which the 
widest channel between the rocky walls is scarcely more 
than twice the width of our well handled boat. 



"There is so much of interest, and so much of day- 
light to improve, that sleep comes only after repeated 
invitations. * * * And just at this time not only is 
the sunlight almost constant, but during the sun's short 




MODERN MINING 



SKAGWAY AND THE 
WHARVES 




A DUMP NEAR 
FAIRBANKS 




absence, the moon shines with an effulgence which seems 
never to have been observed in lower latitudes and 
tempts the man with a camera to try its effect upon the 
sensitized films in the middle of the night with results 
that are wholly satisfactory." 

In fact it is so light here at midnight during the sum- 
mer that one can sit in one's stateroom and read fine 
print or write a letter without artificial light. 

Arriving at Dawson City the traveler will no doubt 
be surprised, as nearly all are who visit it for the first 
time, at its appearance of permanence and solidity. Daw- 
son can boast of but one brick structure. Yet, however, 
its frame buildings are very good and no expense has, 
been spared in making them as good and convenient as 
possible for the various purposes for which they are in- 
tended. This city lying almost within the shadow of 
the Arctic Circle is connected with the outside world by 
telegraph. It has a modern telephone service, both local 



and long distance, electric lights, water works, daily 
newspapers that publish telegraphic dispatches of the 
leading events throughout the world, and branches of 
the Canadian Bank of Commerce and the Bank of British 
North America. It has schools, churches, hospitals and 
good hotels. In short one can live here, especially in 
the summer time, and enjoy as many comforts and con- 
veniences and ever luxuries as can be had in many cities 
much greater in size. One of the unlooked for things 
in Dawson is the profusion of flowers growing in the 
gardens surrounding the homes of many of the resi- 
dents. And not alone flowers but Aegetables as well, 
for here in this Northland with its nearly 24 hours of 
sunshine in the summer, flowers and vegetables and 
even some grains grow with a luxuriance that is really 
wonderful. Dawson is well supplied with mercantile 
establishments of all kinds where anything can be pur- 
chased in the way of wearing apparel, everythng for the 
table, including fresh fruits, house furnishings and sup- 



plies for the miner from a tenpenny nail to a 60 h. p. 
boiler. 

Dawson lies at the foot of a hill which might well 
be called a mountain as it is 1,800 ft. high. Several 
trails lead up to the "Dome" as the residents of Dawson 
call the mountain. One trail is steep, the other is quite 
easy but rather circuitous ; the climb either way is well 
worth the effort. The distance from the hotel to the 
summit is about 3 miles. 

"The magnificent view afforded from this elevation 
was worth the effort. Stretching away to the northwest 
could be traced the winding course of the Yukon on its 
way to its extreme northern point at Fort Yukon, where 
it crosses the Arctic Circle. On the north and east were 
visible, nearly 100 miles away, the snowy peaks of the 
great world's ridge, which sweeps northward from the 
plateau of Mexico, rises into the heights of the Rockies • 
and is perpetuated in the northern chain of mountains 



across British America to the Arctic Ocean. On the 
southeast lies the valley of the Klondike and its tribu- 
taries, the great gold field, which has lured tens of thou- 
sands of eager and hopeful 'argonauts' and which, since 
its discovery eight years ago, has contributed over 
$100,000,000 to the world's supply of the precious metal." 

The most interesting feature of the tourist's visit to 
Dawson is no doubt, the trip to the rich placer mines 
along Bonanza, Eldorado and other well known creeks 
in the Klondike district. Various points, along these 
creeks are now quickly and comfortably reached via the 
Klondike Alines Ry, which aft"ords a daily train service 
between Dawson and Sulphur Springs, about 35 miles 
from Dawson. 

Aside from the novelty of the trip over a railway 
so far north, this short rail journey will aff'ord one an 
opportunity of observing the various methods employed 
in extracting; the gold from the srravel. 



A visit of two days in Dawson and vicinity is usually 
sufificient for the majority -of tourists, but they will be 
two days filled with experiences that will prove as de- 
lightful as they will be novel and interesting. 

The trip from Dawson to AA'hite Horse is, of course, 
up stream, hence requires considerably more time as 
the swift current must be breasted. Many interesting 
points, however, will be observed on the return journey 
that were perhaps unnoticed on the trip to Dawson. 



WINTER ROUTE TO DAWSON 



PNURING the season navigation is closed the AA'hite 
Pass & Yukon Route operates a first-class four- 
horse stage line between White Horse and Dawson, car- 
rying passengers, mail, express and freight, running on 
a schedule of 5 to 5]/ days. Relays are made every 



20 to 25 miles, thus insuring fresh horses for the entire 
trip, and permitting schedule time to be maintained. 
The stages used are very comfortable and are provided 
with plenty of fur robes, foot warmers, etc. The passen- 
gers travel during the daytime only, stopping over night 
at one of the many well appointed road houses along the 
trail. 

In consequence of the construction of the new gov- 
ernment trail between White Horse and Dawson, travel- 
ing over the ice is avoided and there is no longer any 
interruption in the travel to and from Dawson. 

The distance between AMiite Horse and Dawson via 
this new trail is 330 miles. The location of the new 
overland route to Dawson is shown on the map. 

I^urther particulars as to the stage service and infor- 
mation in regard to passenger and freight rates will be 
furnished on request. 




CLIMBING THE MOUNTAINS ON W. P. & Y. R. R. 







NATIVES OF LOWER ALASKA 




STEEL ARCH ON THE W. P. & Y. R. R. 



OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINING INVESTORS 



nr HE White Pass & Yukon Route invites the atten- 
tion of investors to the various mining camps along 
its Hues. 

The Atlin and Klondike districts contain large areas 
that can be profitably worked by dredges, steam shovels, 
and hydraulicing. 

The copper and coal properties in the vicinity of 
White Horse, and the silver, copper and gold quartz 
properties a long the AA'indy Arm near Caribou, offer 
special opportunities for investments. 

The AVindy Arm ^Mining District is contiguous to 



Windy Arm, a southerly branch of Lake Tagish. It ex- 
tends over both sides of the boundary line between Brit- 
ish Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Conrad, Can- 
yon, Boundary and Silverdale are local points along the 
shores of W^indy Arm. 

The other districts along the route to Atlin are Gol- 
den Gate and Taku. All of these points are reached by 
train from Skagway to Caribou, thence by lake steamer. 

The Alsek District, including the Kluane Lake and 
Bullion Creek camps, are northwest of White Horse. The 
creeks are easily reached by steamer from W^hite Horse 
to Mendenhall Landing during the summer, thence by 
wagon over the new government trail, and during the. 
winter season over the new government trail all the way 
from White Horse. 




THE HANGING ROCKS AT CLIFTON, W. P. & Y. R. R. 



The Big Salmon District is reached by steamer from 
White Horse up the Hootalinqua River to Eureka Land- 
ing, from which point trails lead to the different creeks. 

The Stewart River District is adjacent to the Klon- 
dike District. The chief distributing center is Mayo 
Landing, which is reached by steamer from Dawson. 

The Klondike Gold District includes all the creeks 
tributary to the Ivlondike, Indian and AIcQuestion Riv- 
ers, and covers an area of about 800 square miles. All of 
the creeks are readily reached by the Klondike Mines 
Raihvay, and stages connecting with same all the year 
round. 

The Klondike ^Mines Railway is now in operation be- 



tween Dawson and Sulphur Springs, affording a daily 
passenger and freight service. 

Dawson City is the capital city of the Yukon Terri- 
tory and is the largest distributing point. Particulars 
as to the train and steamer service to Dawson are given 
in the preceding pages. 

The Tanana JMines Railroad operates passenger and 
freight trains throughout the year between Chena, Fair- 
banks and Gilmore, the present terminus ,a distance of 
about 26 miles. It is expected the railroad will be ex- 
tended to the Dome at Cleary Creek during the summer 
of igo8, thus permitting all the creeks in the vicinity 
to be reached at all seasons of the vear. 




LEAVING THE SUMMIT ON THE W. P. & Y. R. R. 



THE MIDNIGHT SUN 

'T' HE American small boy who asks to "just stay up 
till dark, ma !" would like Alaska. Day continues 
in the summer time anywhere from ten o'clock to mid- 
night. It would seem that the days were made to order 
for sightseeing purposes. But should the small boy 
discover that to get up with the sun w ould mean to 
arise at two or three o'clock in the morning, as it does 
in this land of almost continuous daylight, he would 
probably be glad to stick to the bedtime of his fore- 
fathers. 




LAKE BENNETT 



HUNTING AND FISHING 

T"" HE country along the White Pass & Yukon Route 
abounds in large and small game, and the streams, 
rivers and lakes are full of fish. The principal varieties 
of large game are caribou, moose, bear, mountain sheep 
and goats. 

Information as to the game laws and the various dis- 
tricts where the different kinds of game are found will be 
furnished on request. 




WHITE HORSE RAPIDS 



COOK INLET, GATEWAY TO THE INTERIOR 
OF ALASKA. 

FACTS CONCERNING RECENT GOLD STRIKES IN THE 

YENTNA REGION COMPILED BY SEWARD 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 



"X" HE Yentna Mining District embraces tlie new placer 
fields lying south of ^It. ]\IcKinley, several thou- 
sand square miles in area. Gold was first discovered 
there in paying quantities in the late fall of 1905. The 
creeks whose A'ield were of sufficient importance to be 
taken into account were confined mostly to the tribu- 
taries of the Yentna river. They produced $50,000 in 
only a few weeks of actual work, principally by miners 
of limited experience, during the season of 1906. It is 
estimated by old and reliable prospectors who know the 
country that at least $500,000 will be the output for the 
season of 1907. 

Lake creek, the next tributary above the Kahiltna, 
produced dust estimated at $10,000, mainly on bars. 



The largest yield on a single creek was from Nugget 
gulch, a small "pup" of Cache creek, one of the largest 
tributaries of the Kahiltna, itself a producer to the ex- 
tent of several thousand dollars, with five men working 
less than sixty days of actual mining. A yield of $20,000 
was obtained by them — almost $70 to the man per day. 

Other creeks which yielded with only a few weeks 
work were: Poor ]Man's, Dollar, Falls, Gold, Thunder, 
Peters, A\'illow and Spruce. 

Prospecting in the upper Sushitna region has given 
good results in several localities, but the territory is so 
vast that much of it is wholly untouched. Pay is found 
on almost every creek, but as a rule prospectors are look- 
ing for thousands and they quickly pass over ground 
which would yield them $10, $15 or $20 per day to 
the man. 

AYich the extension of the Alaska Central Railroad 
from Sewa'-d the Sushitna Valey and its tributaries will 
at once heoome one of the great mining districts of 
Alaska. The railroad is now completed and in opera- 
tion for fifty miles from Seward, the ocean terminus, and 




FIVE FINGERS 



construction is under active headvva}- for 75 miles addi- 
tional. 

From there to Sushitna Station the trail is in first- 
class condition for winter travel. Road houses are 
located on an average of about 20 miles apart. There 
travelers get good accommodations at a reasonable cost. 
Central Alaska needs more experienced miners. The 
Yentna district alone can take care of 5,000 this sea- 
son and more than that number each subsequent year. 

Skagway, the ocean terminus of the White Pass & 
Yukon Route, lies in the Skagway Valley, walled in 
by the snow-capped mountains. There is much in Skag- 
way and its vicinity to attract the tourist. Skagway 
boasts of many conveniences not usually found in towns 
of the same population in the States and Canada, such 
as a water works system, telephone and electric light 
service, also telegraphic connection with all the prin- 
cipal settlements throughout Alaska and the Yukon Ter- 
ritory, as well as with the States and Canada, and in 
fact all parts of the world. It has also a daily news- 



paper, up-to-date stores and many neat homes with 
pretty gardens. The traveler remaining in Skagway 
over night will find the hotel accommodations not alone 
ample but better, both in respect to meals and service, 
than are usually found in a town its size. 

Easy trails near by lead to Mount Dewey, Denver 
Glacier, and numerous beautiful lakes and waterfalls. 

Until a few years ago these tourists could only visit 
the shores, to go beyond meant to climb steep moun- 
tains — over dangerous and rough trails ; thence to float 
down the swift waters of canyons, rapids and tortuous 
rivers beset with imminent risk of life at every turn. Of 
course such a trip was not to be thought of by the 
tourist. The cry of gold ! gold ! was necessary to incite 
taking the risk. Gold was the magnet which attracted 
enterprising men to take the necessary risk resulting in 
building up towns and communities which were suffi- 
cient to call for the construction of a railway and the 
installation of modern steamboats offering every con- 
\'enience for tra^'el. 




WHITE PASS WINTER ROUTE TO DAWSON AND MAIL SERVICE 



Now a new region has been opened up to the tourist, 
rich in novelty, grand in scenery, and deHghtful in its 
summer climate. Mr. E. Burton Holmes, America's most 
famous traveler and lecturer, said in one of his lec- 
tures, after he had visited Alaska and the Klondyke : 

"Alaska and the Klondyke as they are today are 
amongst the most amazing facts of our new century; 
yesterday a wilderness with heroes fighting epic bat- 
tles with the elements ; today a land with towns and 
cities ; with happy homes and thriving business enter- 
prises. * * * Where the pioneers dragged their 
bleedmg feet up the icy stairways of the White Pass or 
the Chilcoot we rolled in all the luxury of railway 
cars, and within sight of the death dealing rapids 
through which their boats were steered with the fear 
of death for pilot, we glided smoothly over rails of 
steel coming from Skagway on the coast to AVhite Horse 
City, on the Upper Yukon, as comfortably and expediti- 
ously as we could travel from New York to Boston 

"We have come by rail in seven hours 112 miles 
from the tidewater terminal of the White Pass & Yukon 



Route to this new station at White Horse City, the 
head of steamer navigation on the Yukon. * * * 
From White Horse to Dawson we have for highway 
the great, rapid flowing river and for conveyance the 
comfortable Yukon steamers that ply all summer up 
and down the stream." 

No tourist going to Dawson should fail to visit the 
beautiful lake country at Atlin. It is reached from Cari- 
bou by a delightful steamer ride of 80 miles through a 
chain of lakes skirted by pine clad hills and snow capped 
mountains. Low rates are made to those holding round 
trip excursion tickets to Dawson, and this trip can be 
made either on the wSlV to or from Dawson, as may 
be most convenient. 

If time will not permit your going to Dawson, by all 
means visit Atlin. You will not regret it. This trip 
of only 150 miles from Skagway, by rail and steamer, 
wil afford you a splendid opportunity of visiting the in- 
terior of this Northland with its ideal summer weather, 
magnificent scenery and interesting gold mining scenes. 




TRAIL HOTEL OF W. P. & Y. R. R. 



THE MALAMUTE 

'X'HE story of the malamute is the story of the North. 
He has fagured in its development and is in all its 
deeds of heroism. The real malamute even today can 
hardly be called a domestic animal. He shows the ferine 
strain in all he does. Being indigenous to the North 
he has never taken kindly to the effete "outside." Like 
the Esquimo, he pines for the rigors of his cold home. A 
husky was taken from here a few years ago to Cali- 
fornia. No sooner had he arrived than he showed signs 
of lassitude. His master had his hair clipped, but this 
afforded him no relief from the enervating climate of the 
South. A kennel was built for him in the cellar, with 
the sides packed with ice, but this, too, only afforded a 
measure of relief, and he finally succumbed to the de- 
bilitating influence of the Southern weather. 

There is some dispute as to what the malamute really 
is, but all sourdoughs agree that he is connected, more 
or less closeh^, with the wolf. He would be a paradox 
were this not so, for he is an ungenerate thief and a 
faithful friend. The cache, be it ever so closely barred, 
is never safe from this four-footed maruader, and the 



taste of blood sets him wild. These bad qualities are 
oft'set by his fidelity and tireless energy. 

A'Vhile faithful he is not lovable, and cares little for the 
caressing touch of his master's hand. Nature has mad'? 
him of sterner stuff. It is a strange sight to watch this 
wonderful canine gambol on the snow at 60 degrees be- 
low with the frisky indifference of a playful lamb in 
midsummer. Indeed, he seems impervious to cold and 
hunger. He has frequently been known to eat the 
leather of harnesses and — so sourdoughs says — tin cans. 
He is a worthy rival of the ostrich and Harlem goat. 

Many are the stories the old pioneers tell of the mala- 
mute — some pathetic, some gay. It is related bv one 
sourdough that being unable to open a tin of frozen 
cream, and after vainlj- applying his hatchet to the top. 
he threw it in digust out of doors.- A malamute sprang 
forward and in the twinkling of an eye chewed the 
cover neatly off. 

The malamute days as a beast of burden are rapidly 
drawing to a close. He has served the Klondike miner 
long and faithfully, and it is hoped that his may be a 
long and happy ife, a life of idle dreams on downy beds 
of snow at 60 below. 




DAWSON CITY 



THE "N. C. C." 



yHE NORTHERN COMMERCIAL COMPANY, 
popularly known throughout Alaska as "The N. 
C. Co.," is the successor ofthe Alaska Commercial Com- 
pany, the Alaska PLxploration Company, the Empire 
Transportation and Trading Company. The first of 
these, founded in 1868, was the pioneer American trad- 
ing company in Alaska, and for twenty years lessee of 
the Pribylofif seal-rookeries ; the others were organized 
about the time of the Klondyke gold discovery. During 
the winter of 1900-1901, these four companies were im- 
pelled, for the sake of economy in operation, and with 
the purpose of offering the public better service, to com- 
bine their plants and their stocks of general merchan- 
dise at all points. 

The company operates exclusively in the valleys of tho 
Yukon and its tributary streams, maintaining a chain of 



stores and warehouses throughout that territory. These 
stations are located at : 

St. Michael, Alaska, on Behring Sea. 

Andreaofsky, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Nulato, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Bettles, Alaska, on Koyukuk River. 

Kokrines, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Tanana, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Fairbanks, Alaska, on Tanana River. 

Delta, Aalska, on Tanana River. 

Rampa' t, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Circle. Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Eagle, Alaska, on Yukon River. 

Forty Mile, Yukon Territory, Canada, on Yukon River. 

Dawson, Yukon Territory, Canada, on Yukon River. 




N. C. CO.-S STEAMER TANANA PLOWING THE YUKON RIVER 



At all these points are carried complete stocks of gro- 
ceries and provisions, hardware, mining implements and 
machinery, and all other wares necessary for the comfort 
and welfare of the miner. 

The succeeding pages of this book contain brief indi- 
vidual references to the more prominent points of interest 
along the Yukon and its tributaries, also a short descrip- 
tion of the various types of river steamers operated by 
the Northern Navigation Company. 

River Transportation Facilities of the Northern Naviga- 
tion Co. 
(The "N. N. Co.") 

The Northern Navigation Company's fleet consists of 
thirty-two river steamers, with a total tonnage of 17,000, 
and thirty-five barges, with a tonnage of 10,000, also 
numerous tovvf-boats and other harbor craft for service 
at St. Michael. 



The river steamers are all stern-wheelers, but present 
many variations of that useful type of vessel, from the 
great Mississippi packets, which make regular trips up 
and down the Yukon between St. Michael and Dawson, 
to the small, extremely light-draft steamers which have 
recently been constructed for special service on shallow 
tributary streams, when the water falls low late in the 
season. A short description of these two types will not 
be out of place. 

The Mississippi packets, Susie, Sarah and Hannah, 
were built in 1898. Their dimensions are: Lenth, 223, 
feet, breadth 42 feet, and depth 6 feet 2 inches ; their ton- 
nage is 1,211, and their speed about fifteen miles per hour,, 
which enables them to stem the swift Yukon currents, 
without difficulty. These boats represent the very high- 
est development of their class. They are supplied with 
electric lights and cold-storage plants; the staterooms 
are large and well ventilated; the table offers an abund- 





N. C. CO.'s PLANT IN FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 



N. C. CO.S RIVER BOAT 





N. C. CO.S RIVER PACKET 



RUSSIAN CHURCH, ST. MICHAEL 



ance of well-cooked food of excellent cjuality, and the 
service is efficient and courteous. The masters, pilots 
and engineers ha\'e been long in the Company's service 
and are chosen for reliability and experience. 

Until 1903, wood was used for fuel exclusively. In 
that }'ear the Company, in pursuance of its policy of 
adopting the most modern methods, introduced Cali- 
fornia crude oil as fuel, and, at heavy expense, large 
storag'e tanks were erected at various points along the 
Yukon, and the necessar}' apparatus installed on the 
steamers. Absence of dirt and cinders, elimination of 
tedious delays to "wood-up," and increased steaming ca- 
pacity of the boats, all result from this improvement. 
Fifty thousand barrels is the annual importation of 
this fuel. 



After the packets comes a long list of river boats 
of JT'iany types, for ever}- branch of the ser-\'ice. There 



are ;ow-boats and tenders, powerful freighters and many 
fine passenger boats, all well equipped and maintained in 
accordance with the Company's high standard of ex- 
cellence. 

Last in point of size, but of great importance to the 
public, are the newly constructed light-draft boats Tan- 
naa, Koyukuk and Delta, for use exclusively on the shal- 
low streams tributary to the Yukon, which are now 
much in the public eye on account of rich placer finds 
in the vicinity. These streams fed by the melting of the 
winter snow, diminish greatly in volume toward the end 
of summer and their navigation by the heavy Yukon 
steamers is impossible. It is then that the usefulness 
of the little boats is demonstrated. Drawing- but a few 
inches of water they make trip after trip with such regu- 
larity that residents of the remoter camps, high up on. 
the Tanana and Koyukuk rivers, have come to regard 
them as indispensable. 





CHIEF ROCK. KOYUKUK RIVER 



THE N. C. CO.'S STORE, ALASKA, IN EARLY DAYS 



i^\ 





OLD RUSSIAN FORT, ST. MICHAEL, ALASKA 



ROAD HOUSE OF W. P. 




TANANA RIVER AT FAIRBANKS. N. C. CO.'S STEAMER QUARTERS 




SLUICING IN JUNE 



THE MINER'S CABIN 



T T'S a cheerful home for the weary miner after his 
hard day's work is over in the long winter nights. 
The miner keeps his cabin neat. Ever}^ article in cook- 
ing utensils has its place. There is generaly one room 
and in that, during the winter, he washes his clothes, 
sleeps, eats and pans the dirt as a test. He is content- 
ed with his home-made bed, made from raw poles and 
native hay. Their bedding consists of blankets and 
fur robes. As you see in the picture, their furniture is 
all made of raw wood. Some miners are more artistic 
and make very neat furniture, which helps to liven the 
cabin. 




INTERIOR OF A MINER'S CABIN 



NORTH AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION 
AND TRADING COMPANY 

"THE Xorth America Trading & Transportation Co., 
known as the N. A. T. & T. Co., are one of the early 
settlers in Alaska and Yukon Territory. They have 
been there since the early days, during the discovery of 
gold. They have recently erected, in Dawson City, a 
new and handsome plant for stores and salesrooms. 
Their headquarters are in Seattle, and thep operate stores 
along the Yukon and tributaries at such stations known 
as : 

Dawson, Y. T. 

Eagle, Alaska. 

Circle, Alaska. 

^A'eare, Alaska. 

St. IMichaels, Alaska. 



Great stocks of provisions and dry goods fill these 
stores and warhouses of this company, also hardware, 
mining- implements, boilers and mining machinery. 

The river steamers that plow the mighty Yukon and 
are operated by the X. A. T. & T. Co. are as follows: 

Steamers. Tonnage. 

Will H. Isom 983 

John C. Barr 546 

John Cudahy 819 

C. H. Hamilton 819 

John J. Healy 450 

T. C. Power 819 

P. B. Weare 400 

J. P. Light 718 

Klondike 406 

Ella 419 

Evelvn 420 




N. A. T. CO.'S STEAMER WEARE PLOWING THE YUKON RIVER 



These steamers run until the river freezes and then 
winter at stations along the Yukon line of trading posts. 
These boats are all well supplied with electric lights 
and cold storage plants. They have large and airy state- 
rooms and the table offers plenty of well cooked food 
of the very best quality. Safety is assured on every steam- 
er plying the Yukon, as none but the best and most re- 
liable pilots and captains are employed by the company. 

Then the care of the passengers is one of the first 
things taken into consideration by the N. A. T. & T. Co. 
The company has always insisted on the greatest precau- 
tion and vigilance on the part of the crews and every 
man is trained in the handling of the life saving appara- 
tus. The life boats and other equipment have been thor- 
oughly tested and approved by government inspectors. 



These steamers have wide promenade decks for sight 
seeing, spacious social halls and smoking rooms and state- 
room accommodations equal to any vessel plying in the 
trade. The company's steamers are always kept in the 
best possible condition. Cold storage plants permit the 
carrying of fresh meats and vegetables, and electric read- 
ing lights over each bearth insure the passengers the same 
com ford aboard as they would find in the average hotel on 
land. From the point of comfort the ships are steam- 
heated throughout and up-to-date in every respect. 

It is the policy of the company to provide everything 
the market affords, and the cuisine on vessels in the fleet 
of the North America Trading & Transportation Co. is 
al\va3^s up to the standard of excellence. Experienced 
chefs are emploj'ed in the culinary department of the 




N. A. T, CO;s NEW PLANT IN DAWSON CITY 



ships, and courteous stewards look after the welfare of 
the passengers at meal time. Three meals are served 
daily aboard the steamers, and before the hour of retiring 
in the evening a table is set in the dining salon, where 
those who desire may obtain a lunch. The daily menu is 
varied and plentiful, and the attention given the passen- 
gers on the ships of the North America Trading & Trans- 
portation Co. accounts for their popularity with the trav- 
eling public, and the succes which has crowned the efforts 
of the organization in the Alaskan transportation busi- 
ness. 



Barges owned and are operated by N. A. T. & T. Co. : 
Names. Tonnage. 

New York 450 

Michigan 450 

Superior 691' 

Erie 899 

Ontario 899 



Huron 899 

Idaho 900 

Montana 900 

Omaha 45c 

Arizona 900 

Dakota 900 

Independence 83 

Dwight 375 

Mitchell 8c 

The trip from Dawson to Nome is admitted to be one 
of the safest and most attractive of voyages. The steam- 
ers operated by the N. A. T. & T. Co. have made the 
sailing of Alaska and Yukon waters a special study for 
years, and the success, that has attended its lines dowr 
the Yukon is the best of recommendations to prospec- 
tive travelers. The trip from Dawson to Nome is full of 
interesting sights, just long enough to make it enjoyable 
and for the voyager to get the full benefit of the health- 
ful breeze of water and from the mountains, and not to 
lono- to be monotonous. 




N. A. T. CO;S STEAMER JOHN CUDAHY, LOWER RIVER STEAMER 



EARLY SLUICING SPRING OF 1908 IN 
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA 

T N early spring, with good weather, is making it possi- 
ble to shiice earlier this year than usual. Already 

Sam \A'eirr, on lower Cleary Creek, has begun sluicing. 
there is considerable sluicing on several creeks. 
He is dumping dirt as it is taken from the drift. So many 
dumps are thawing, however, that piping and washing 
will be^come general in a few days. 

On Goldstream, the Unon IMining Company, is pump- 
ing water from the creek and sluicing and several other 
outfits are getting boxes and pumps in place to begin. 
On Easter, Biglow, Hamil and another outfit are wash- 
ing what is hoisted from the drift. It Vvill be only a few 



days until the dumps ■ will be shoveled in. Doty, on 
Smallwood, has been sluicing for several days and will 
make a clean-up in a few days. 

Business men who have returned from the creeks say 
that on every claim there are signs of activity; boxes are 
being put up, ditches cleaned, pumps put in place, flumes 
patched, and the great dumps everywhere are sinking 
from thawing. 

A little of the gold has found its way to town. Small 
in amount, it has had the efifect of making the merchants 
happy, for it is the beginning of the harvest that will not 
end until next November. Soon old debts will be paid, 
mortgages released, and everyone will have a sha^'e of the 
general prosperity that is sure to be the lot of the Tanana 
this season. 




N. A. T. CO.-S OLD STORES AND WAREHOUSES, DAWSON CITY 



INDIAN BASKETS 



^ O home is complete now-a-days without a neat and 
artistically arranged Indian basket corner. 
The fad of collecting these beautifully woven 
gems — the handiwork of the North American aborigines 
— is one which is fast iinding favor with those who jour 
ney northward. 

\Miat a pleasure to wander about in the quaint Indian 
villages which still have the primitive charm ; stop now 
and then to gaze upon the venerable totem poles or poke 
your way into the countless huts and igloos in search of 
the rare and curious relics. 

Indian tribes in the North usually select the shores of 
the mainland for their places of abode. Many have set- 
tled on the islands which dot the coast of British Co- 
lumbia and Southeastern Alaska. Nature especially fav- 
ored that section of the Pacific, and the quiet waters for 



more than a thousand miles are peppered over with islets 
and archipelagoes in bewildering profusion. 

There the waves spread over the long and rocky island 
beaches, leaving the whip-shaped kelp, mosses and other 
forms of sea life to dry and wither away, while the swells 
continue in their mad rush to the farther shore, where 
they dash and break against the rugged promontories, 
throwing the silvery spray high into the air. 

For a background nature set in place high and stately 
mountains, whose peaks are snow-capped and cloud-hung 
the year around. Down their sides rush hundreds of nar- 
row and swollen streams booming and roaring on their 
way to the ocean. Mighty glaciers fill the valleys and at 
intervals go tumbling into the sea, where the sun casts 
its rays over the jagged bergs, forming kaleidoscopic 
color eftects of rare beauty. Out in the ocean the wood- 
ed islands — some but amere speck of volcanic origin, 
while others are miles in length — stand like sentinels 




N. A. T. CO.'S STEAMER WILL H. ISOM, LOWER RIVER STEAMER 



guarding the entrance to this veritable fairyland. Along 
the shores of these lonely islands, and along the coast 
Alaska's natives natives will be found ready and eager to 
display their baskets, add carved totems and fine bead 
work. To say the least, Alaska basketry is one of the 
most interesting phases of Indian life, and the skillful 
men and women deserve unstinted credit for weaving 
the exquisite and highly-colored fabrics which ultimately 
find their way into thousands of well-ordered homes. 

MODERN INDIAN BASKETRY 



Q PECIFIC terms for the rich and gaily decorated In- 
dian baskets have been in use but a few years. The 
names Attn and Yakutat are now exalted above all 
others. Attn is the name of the westernmost island of 
the Aleutian chain, lying in about 172 degrees of east 
longitude and 53 degrees of north latitude, and its loca- 
tion precludes the growth of wood-bearing plants. The 



natives of Attn island had no roots or bark to use in their 
baskets, like the tribes at the southern extremity of 
Alaska, but they did have the fine and tough grasses. 
With these the women weavers learned to fashion fabrics 
excelling all others in the delicacy of their tissues. Be- 
fore the Aleuts came in contact with the whites their 
baskets were finished without the use of colors. When 
they met with the early traders they obtained bright 
worsteds and yarns. These they deftly used in orna- 
menting the baskets. 

Since basketry became so popular in America these soft 
and pliable baskets of the .Aleuts have almost doubled in 
value. The most famous of all offered for sale came from 
Attn, and now that name is the common one used when 
reference is made to that distinct type of weave and ma- 
terial. The Indian population of Attn island was never 
large, and it is now claimed by experienced collectors 
that less than forty weavers are left and th^ vonien con- 
fine their efiforts to the manufacture of tinv cigarette 




N. A. T. CO;S OLDEST STORE IN THE YUKON. 



cases. The Attu baskets bring a big price and range in 
value from $25 to $150. 

Probably the largest basket ever woven was one made 
a number of years ago and sent to Helen Gould. This 
young woman heard that the natives of Attu island were 
in a starving condition and contributed largely to their 
needs. The natives desired to show their appreciation, 
and one old woman in the village began the task of con- 
structing a mighty basket. Though nearly blind, this 
aged weaver finished it after months of hard work. This 
basket is now said to be the masterpiece of the Aleutian 
race, and it is not likely it will ever be duplicated. 

OLD AND MODERN YAKUTATS 

r^ OMING together along the Southeastern coast of 

Alaska are three Indian races. They are, namely, 

the Thlingit, Tsimshean and Haidas. While these 

races speak different languages they all use a Thlingit 

jargon for their commerce and trade. In early days the 



Thlingits were driven from the Queen Charlotte group 
of islands by the Haidas, and the Thlingits now extend 
from those island northwai'd along the coast to Prince 
AVilliams Sound and penetrate inland on the Stickine and 
Taku rivers. The ancient and modern Yakutat baskets 
have been given to the world by this race of people and 
specimens of the basketry of olden times the eagerly 
sought for by the tourists. It now takes a vigorous 
search of the Indian quarters in the fishing villages to 
produce any of the old baskets. Many have been cast 
away worn out, but the collectors readily seize upon 
them, paying the natives exorbitant prices for thpse treas 
ures of a fast dying race. 

The early baskets of the Yakutat weavers show con- 
siderable ornamentation around the rims, and were wov- 
en in a solid and substantial manner. The main texture 
is spruce roots interwoven with blades of grass and col- 
ored with vegetable dyes prepared by a secret process 
discovered years ago. This tribe is probably more sue- 




RAMPART, ALASKA 



cessful than any other in using to good effect various 
geometric angles and figures. The use of such designs 
has been so constant that the collectors at once recognize 
a Yakutat basket. It is said that the use of native dyes 
among the wea^'ers of the Thlingtat tribe is almost a lost 
art. They will not return to the old and laborous meth- 
ods of securing colors when the prepared but inferior dyes 
can be purchased from northern drug stores. 

!\Iany of the ancient Yakutat baskets have seen ser- 
vice as cooking utensils, and at the present time there is 
not p,robabl3^ one to be found in or around the town of 
Yakutat. Among the Indians in several of the remote 
villages the collector is most likely to find the handiwork 
of the early Yakutat weavers. Professor Edmond S. 
Meany, of the University of Washington, in an article on 
Alaska Indian basketry, says: "It is not easy to describe 
the richness and soft beauty of those old baskets, mellow- 
ed with time. No one should blame a collector for fondl- 
ing with ecstacy cue of these rare old treasures." 



PREPARING THE SPRUCE ROOTS 

1 T will, of course, be interesting to learn how the 
spruce roots are prepared by the weavers. The 
Yakutat Indians obtain these roots from the young- 
er trees, and the task of gathering them falls to the wo- 
men. Each root is taken from the ground separately, 
and many are from five to fifteen feet in length. Root 
gathering for the manufacture of the pretty and costly 
baskets is looked upon as an outing for the squaws, and 
the old women often form a party and live for days in the 
woods collecting a supply that will last them for months. 
After the spruce roots reach the native camp they are 
first scraped and then parboiled, after which they are 
placed in pans of water and left for two or three weeks 
at a time. When in the judgment of the experienced 
weaver the roots are finally ready for use they are soaked 
in a pan of lukewarm water. The next move on the 
part of the weaver is to loosen from the root a fibre of 




JOHN J. HEALY, LOWER RIVER STEAMER 



desired size. A peculiar little knife blade fitted into a 
bone handle is used by the weavers. After the slender 
fibre has been separated from the root one end is fastened 
to a stick set firmly in the ground. With a copper instru- 
ment or mussel-shell it is scroped until it has a fine, 
glossy and smooth appearance. 

This is a long and tedious task, but the weaver cannot 
commence her work until hundreds of the slender strands 
have been secured. In each instance the bottom of the 
basket is first woven. It is held in shape by crossed 
sticks temporarily sewed to the circle of fabric while the 
sides or walls are slowly built up. Collectors say that 
one of the many reasons for the superiority of Yakutat 
baskets is the fact that weavers use every possible care 
while engaged in the work of weaving. Every piece of 
basketry is wrapped in silk or other clean cloth, and this 
invariably follows to completion. Those who have visit- 
ed the Yakutat villages tell how the women wrap the bas- 
ket in cloth to prevent dirt from working its way in be- 



tween the strands and spoiling the effect of the color 
work. After the basket is finished it remains covered 
until sold to the tourist or dealer. Many persons who 
have made the trip to Alaska will recall how the Indians 
came out to the steamer in their canoes to display their 
wares, and it was a noticeable fact that each basket was 
neatly wrapped. 

COLLECTING THE BASKETS 

A TTU and Yakutat baskets may be purchased in any 
of the northern curio shops. There you will find 
that the dealers are well up on the subject of In- 
dian basketry, and they will be of great assistance to the 
tourist who is desirous of forming a valuable collection 
of these rare gems. The baskets are woven in many dif- 
ferent shapes. Some are covered, but the majority of 
those manufactured in Southeastern Alaska are open. 
The Indian women also make coA^erings for bottles. High 
prices do not prevail for the Yakutat basket, and they arc 




ST. MICHAEL, ALASKA 



quoted from $2 to $50. Any of the old weavers know ful! 
well the value of their work If the basket they offer for 
sale is an inferior one they will always show it in a 
shame-faced attitude. 

During the hot summer days the Indian women and 
their families display their baskets on the street corners 
in Skagway, Juneau, W'rangel, Ketchikan, Sitka, 
Haines and Douglas City. The various curio stores in 
each of these places carry a full line of baskets, and many 
northern dealers purchase the product of the recognized 
weavers. Tourists going North should not fail to visit 
several of the Indian villages on the line of steamshii> 
travel. Leaving the vessel they can roam about from hut 
to hut conversing with the natives, purchasing the bask- 
ets and observing the trophies of the hunt. The handi- 
craft of the native men and women is in evidence every- 
where. Besides the Attn and Yakutat baskets, those 
woven by the Fraser river Indians are offered for sale. 

Occasionally displays of the Point Barrow basket will 
be found among the collections of the Alaska dealers 



Like the natives of Attn Island, the Point Barrow In- 
dians use grass in the manufacture of their baskets. They 
are decorated by the use of reindeer hide and ivory from 
the tusks of the walrus. The product of the Fraser 
river Indians is manufactured from the roots of the cedar 
tree, and each basket is ornamented with stripes of wild 
cherry and crab apple bark in rich browns, reds and yel- 
lows. To give variety to the collection the tourist should 
not fail to procure several baskets woven by the Chilkat 
Indians. They reside on the Chilkat river, near Haines 
Mission, but center about Pyramid Harbor. Their bask- 
ets are woven from spruch roots, but little or no coloring 
is used. The A\'rangel Indians make a basket from strips 
of cedar bark and weave a few highly-decorated mats. 
The Haidas also do some weaving and manufacture hats 
used in their war dances. The tourist upon returning to 
Seattle from a trip to Southeastern Alaska will be able 
to complete his collection by adding baskets manufactur- 
ed by the Indians of Oregon and Washington. Pretty 
mats can be purchased for a small sum, which contribute 
to the beautv of anv basket corner. 



ICE BREAKING ON THE YUKON 



1-1 AVE you ever seen the breaking of the ice of the 
Mighty Yukon of the Far North, beholding the 
multitude of ice cakes, and watched the great masses of 
ice, climbing one on top of the other, forming a wall like 
cliff, at the moment it breaks it takes everything it 
contact with down the river. Breaking up wharfs, small 
boats, and even the large river steamers, that are in their 
places of shelter during the long winter are in great dan- 



ger. Tourists planning an outing should consider this 
question if they should visit a land which offers some of 
the most colossal and sublime scenery of the world. It 
is a country where the field for ice is unlimited and as 
these gigantic ice cakes ash and blaze in the sunlight one 
may well fancy that this beautiful and varied phenomena 
is but the fantasy of a dream. This wonderful sight ap- 
peals at oiace to the restless mind of the Klondiker, who 
for so many months during the long winter has seen 
nothing but the river and mountains clothed in ice and 




BREAK UP ON THE YUKON RIVER. IN FRONT OF DAWSON 




CENTER OF NOME 




ON THE BEACH 




OCEAN FRONT AT NOME 




NOME IN EARLY DAYS 



GLACIER CLIMBING IN ALASKA 



TT would be advisable for tourists to procure the ser- 
vices of an experienced guide before an attempt 
is made to climb one of Alaska's glaciers. In towns along 
the Southeastern coast are men of experience in that line 
who will pilot any number of pleasure seekers over the 
surface of one of these ice beds and take them to points 
where an unobstructed view of crevasses and floating 
ice beds may be had without fear of an accident. Per- 
sons intending to climb about on a glacier should pro- 
vide themselves with alpine sticks and creepers. The 
blunt instrument fastened to one of these sticks is used 
to cut steps about in steep places as well as to support 
the weight of the climber and act as a balance pole. The 
steel creepers are fastened to the shoes and it is almost 
impossible for a person to lose his footing with this de- 
vice properly secured. 



Those who may desire to explore one or more of Alas- 
ka's wonderful glaciers had best disembark from the 
steamship at Skagway or Juneau and prepare for a trip. 
The necessary paraphernalia will be furnished the tour- 
ists at any of the curio stores or photograph galleries. It 
is possible that the proprietor of one of these places will 
offer his services for a reasonable sum and if the ex- 
cursionists are fortunate enough to be accompanied by 
men of wide experience in glacier-climbing they will be 
guided to the l^eauty spots of these limitless bodies of 
ice. During the summer months the climate of Alaska is 
very similar to that of the cities along the coast of Ore- 
gon and Washington. It will not be necessary for the" 
tourists to burden themselves with heavy clothing for 
such a trip, and clad in light garments they can roam 
about on the glaciers taking snap shots at the over-hang- 
ing ice clififs or stopping now and then to marvel at the 
scenic beauties surrounding them. 



#^ 


i 




j&^ 


I^^Ly 




""'^^^^■-^^.Jt^^^ '■' ' ^"^ 






^^m^- 






-^ 


^^gs^^m 



W. p. SUMMER ROUTE TO DAWSON 



TABLE OF DISTANCES 



On Yukon River, From St. Michael. 

]Miles 

Kotlik 67 

Andreaofsky 181 

Russian Mission 293 

Holy Cross 35^ 

Anvik 405 

Greyling 4^/ 

Kaltag 579 

Nulato 610 

Koyukuk 630 

Grimkop 649 

Louden 682 

Melozi 715 

Kokrines 7^^ 

Mouth of Xovikaket 773 

Birches 820 

Tanana 9°! 

Rampart 9^1 

Fort Hamlin 1072 

Dahl River 1082 

Fort Yukon 1224 

Circle 1309 

Woodchopper Creek 1359 

Star 1479 

Eagle 1499 

Cliiif Creek 153" 

Forty Mile. Y. T 1548 

Dawson, Y. T 1601 



On Koyukuk River, from Confluence with Yukon. 

Miles 

Dagetkaket .- 132 

Dublikaket 155 

Seattle Point 220 

Hog River 295 

Rock Island Point 370 

Red Mountain 404 

Bergman 440 

Allenkaket 450 

Peavey 488 

Bettles 520 

Coldfoot 580 

On Tanana River from Confluence with Yukon. 

Miles 

Cosna i 45 

Baker Creek 85 

Kantishna River (mouth) 106 

Tolovana 122 

Neenana 189 

Chena 263 

Fairbanks 275 

On Ocean. 

Miles 

San Francisco to Unalaska 2086 

San Francisco to Nome 2731 

San Francisco to St. Michael 2846 

Seattle to Unalaska • 1727 

Seattle to Nome 2372 

Seattle to St. Michael 2487 




RICH DUMP AT FAIRBANKS CREEK 



On Bering Sea Coast. 

Miles 

Nome to St. Michael 1 15 

Nome to Golovin 8i 

Nome to Topkuk 47 

Nome to Solomon 3° 

Nome to Teller 9° 

Teller to Tin City 35 

Tin City to Deering 184 

Deering to Keewalik 22 

Nome to Keewalik direct 293 

Winter Trail from Valdez to Fairbanks. 

Miles 

Valdez 

Comfort 10 

Wortmanns 18 



Ptarmigan Drop 26 

Beaver Dam 34 

Teikhell 48 

Ernestine 60 

Tonsina 77 

Willow Creek 90 

Copper Center 102 

Gnlkana 128 

Timber-line 19^ 

Yosts 209 

Caseys Cache 219 

Rapids, Big Delta ■ ■ ^ ■ • 234 

Donnellys 246 

Little Delta S^i' 

Salchaket 33? 

Pile-driver 345 

Twenty Mile House 35^ 

Fairbanks 373 




«,^*s^1^^> 



-»,->». 



I 



DUMP IN TANANA DISTRICT 



JUN 1 1908 



(Samuurcial SiuiicrQ Sc Printing (Co. 

G.W.ANDERSON, PROPRIETOR 
TACOMA, WASHINGTON 



K 



LE '08 



n 



